Sing me Insomnia
by Lahdolphin
Summary: It was on that day that they began their downward spiral of meaningless sex, alcoholism, violence, and… okay, not really. But it was the start of something amazing.
1. Confess

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, nor do I own any character, company, music, etc… mentioned in this fic. '**_**Sing Me Insomnia**_**' is a band that I have fallen in love with (they're amazing), I do not own any of their songs or music rights.**

**Warning: Shonen-ai (male/male), some obscene language, sexual themes and vague content, etc…**

**Note: This is a semi-AU. They are in university/college and do not know each other.**

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**[Confess]**  
**"****I must confess, my way with words stopped in a screeching wreck the very first time, first time my eyes met yours."**

"Oh, my God! I'm sorry," Marui blurted as he dropped the cup the cashier had just handed him. He watched, horrified, as the cup of hot chocolate he was holding fell in slow motion towards the cashier. It clattered, rolled, and stopped – just like his breath.

None of this would have happened if he had just stayed in his apartment, instead of walking half way across town for a cup of hot chocolate at two in the freakin' morning. Who got hot chocolate at two in the morning? People who couldn't sleep and believed a cup of pure sugar would help. Damn insomnia.

"Oh_. Crap_. I am so sorry. I'm so damn clumsy. I know I'm a klutz, but this always happens to me! And it's not even that embarrassing anymore because I'm used to it, but then the person I pull into my pathetic little scene has to suffer and – crap. I'm doing it again. When I'm totally horrified, I rant. Like now."

Marui sucked in a breath, feeling his face burn.

"Yesterday, I was holding a cup of yogurt – I work at Sweet Treats, the frozen yogurt shop – and I spilled nuts everywhere. I mean, having to tell ten year old boys that we have two kinds of nuts while trying not to laugh is bad enough, but it's worse when it's an old lady who doesn't get why I'm laughing. Anyway. Yesterday, started laughing like a retarded seal, and the container fell, and the nuts just went _whoosh_!"

Marui closed his eyes, sucking in his breath again_. Kill me_, he thought.

"Are you done yet?" the cashier asked, patting down his shirt with napkins. Marui went completely still, slowly opening his eyes and saw icy blue eyes looking at him.

"I'm really, really sorry," Marui continued, looking at his nametag, "Niou."

Niou's lips curved up into a twisted smile. "It's alright."

Marui shook his head rapidly. "No, it's not! Let me make it up to you. Look, I work at Sweet Treats; it's only a few minutes away. I'll take you. You don't have to stay, if you don't want to, but let me at least steal you some frozen yogurt and… and get some ice on that! Yes, okay, it's a plan. Are you game?"

Niou just laughed. He ran a hand through his hair, calming himself down enough to say, "You're kind of cute."

Marui blinked a few times, and then his face went beet red. "What?" Marui laughed nervously, playing with the bottom of his shirt. "You're… cute, I guess? Wait. That came out wrong. Okay, so that came out wrong, too. What I meant to say was, well, uh…"

Marui stopped talking and looked at him.

Niou looked like he wanted to laugh, what with that goofy grin on his face and all, but he didn't.

Marui sighed. "Can you forget the last forty seconds?" he asked.

Niou smirked. "Only if you remember that you're cute."

Marui looked at him for a moment before smiling shyly and nodding. "Okay. Frozen yogurt, yay or nay?"

Niou looked around the small café. There were no customers, no one else working, he had the keys, and the only other thing he had to look forward to was his calculus homework. "What the hell? Let's go get some yogurt."

"And ice, don't forget the ice."

Niou rolled his eyes. Marui just smiled.

.

Marui was standing behind the counter of Sweet Treats, struggling to put his key into the machine so it would turn on. Niou eyes shifted from the toppings to the red head, smirking whenever Marui cursed or his eyes skimmed over the word 'nuts.'

"Favorite color?" Marui asked randomly.

"Silver. Hence the hair."

Marui turned around, twirling a cup. "We don't have silver yogurt. Pick another color."

"Shouldn't you ask for my favorite flavor?" Niou asked.

Marui sighed, pouting almost. "But it's more fun when you don't know what flavor you're getting. Like, I'm going to get green. I'm pretty sure it's apple, watermelon, or some sort of melon. Is watermelon a melon? It was melon in it, but I'm not sure. I bet it's indecisive, like the tomato – fruit or vegetable?"

Marui sucked in his breath.

"Damn. Sorry. I'm doing it again. Color?"

"Red," Niou said. "Since it looks sexy on me," he added. Marui started at him with wide-eyes before realizing that he was only joking when he laughed.

"You're modest," Marui said, filling the cup up with what was either strawberry or cherry yogurt.

"Sorry," Niou said, still laughing softly. "Don't worry, though, it looks even sexier on you." He eyed Marui's red hair.

Marui blushed like a teenage girl, handing Niou a cup of red frozen yogurt. Marui turned back around, filling up a cup with green. "Any toppings?" Marui asked.

"And," Niou continued, ignoring Marui's question, "I think you'd look sexy with nothing on, too. But that's just me."

Marui dropped the cup as he was filling it up, green yogurt going everywhere. With a mumbled curse, Marui grabbed a towel and squatted. Niou leaned on the counter, watching the other man wipe up the yogurt.

"You can be the toppings on my yogurt any day," Niou said.

Marui slipped in the yogurt. Niou laughed.

.

The two were sitting on the floor where Marui had spilled the yogurt. It was sticky and gross, and Marui kept going off on completely inappropriate rants, but they were shoulder to shoulder and it felt right being like that.

"Why did you randomly decide to come to a café and get hot chocolate at two in the morning?" Niou asked, shoveling a spoonful of strawberry yogurt into his mouth.

Marui shrugged, his shoulder rubbing against Niou's. "I have insomnia. I got to sheep number one thousand two hundred and seventy four and just gave up."

Niou hummed around his spoon, pulling it out with a pop.

"When I can't sleep, I usually just stare up at the ceiling," Marui continued, not giving Niou a chance to talk even if he wanted, which he didn't. "I just felt like getting hot chocolate. I guess I thought that maybe I could get a sugar rush, crash, and get some sleep before going to class. I study – "

"Do you rant around everyone?" Niou asked, cutting him off.

Marui wiggled uncomfortably, moving a few inches away from him. "No. I just rant when I get nervous. I used to be on the speech and debate team, but I never ranted. I used to picture everyone in the underwear, and I just wouldn't be nervous, so I didn't rant. Cause and effect, I guess."

"Then why don't you picture me in your underwear? Would that help?" Niou asked, putting another spoon full in his mouth. "Or I could strip, it's up to you."

"I tried picturing you in your underwear," Marui said softly. "But you were hot."

"You have a really crappy way with words, you know that?" Niou licked his lips, trying to get rid of the sticky yogurt.

"I know. It sucks. I haven't ranted this much in years. When I first saw you, I just got all tingly and – oh, God. Forget I said that. Please forget I said that," Marui begged, his eyes wide.

"Nah," Niou said, shoveling shoveled another spoonful into his mouth, "it's kinda cute, and it's good to know you think I'm a sex god."

Marui turned red, and then went off on a rant about how perverted Niou was. Niou just sat there with a stupid grin, eating his free frozen yogurt.

It was on that day that they began their downward spiral of meaningless sex, alcoholism, violence, and… okay, not really. But it was the start of something amazing.

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**A/N: This story will have six chapters, possibly seven. Opinions?**


	2. Mixed Signals

**[Mixed Signals] **  
**"You send more mixed signals than a broken stop light."**

Niou tapped his pencil against his calculus book, glancing up when he heard the bells on the café door. Marui walked in, shaking his wet hair like a dog, spinning his yellow umbrella dry.

"You're early, it's only eleven," Niou said, looking back at his textbook.

"I figured I would come before the flooding." Marui set his umbrella by the door, walking over to the counter. He pulled himself up, swinging his legs onto Niou's side.

Niou looked up again, glancing out the window. "Damn, it's raining cats and dogs."

"No, it's raining monkeys and lizards."

"It cannot rain monkeys and lizards," Niou said, closing his textbook as he turned around to grab a Styrofoam cup and fill it with hot chocolate.

It'd been two months since they first met, and the two were inseparable. Niou would work the night shift, Marui would come and get hot chocolate when he couldn't sleep (which was every night), and Niou would visit Marui when he worked during the day. They were like best friends who just took a little too long to find each other.

"I think they should make puppy sized monkeys," Marui said, taking the cup when Niou handed it to him. "I would call mine 'Mr. Monkey.' Actually, I want a puppy sized elephant, and then my puppy sized monkey could ride it. That would be amazing."

"But if they're both puppy sized, how could they ride each other?" Niou asked. "Never mind. I get it. Two people can ride each other, even if they're the same size," Niou added before Marui couldn't answer.

Marui wrinkled his nose. "You pervert! You're more perverted than leather, and leather is the most perverted thing of all perverted things."

Niou shrugged, leaning against the counter. "I'm a pervert, you caught me."

Marui rolled his eyes, gently tapping Niou's side with his foot. Niou grabbed his ankle, pushing up his jeans slightly and rubbing the bone at his ankle with his thumb.

"You know you want me," Niou said in a low purr.

Marui wiggled his eyebrows. "Baby, don't tempt me."

Niou laughed, pulling his hand back, and Marui laughed with him.

It was like a game. Niou flirted, Marui flirted back, but no one crossed the line. Niou didn't like Marui, and Marui didn't like him – it was as simple, and complicated, as that.

"So," Marui drew out, taking a sip of his hot chocolate, filling the silence that always followed their 'game.' Marui shivered, goosebumps forming on his skin.

Niou furrowed his brow. "You okay?"

Marui shivered again, rolling his shoulders and taking another sip of his hot chocolate. "Just cold. I walked here in the rain. I'm okay, though. I mean, I will be okay. I used to play in the rain a lot when I was younger. I still do. I love jumping in puddles. This one time, when I was six…"

Marui trailed off, talking about the time he had a tube race down a hill in the rain and broke his arm.

"Marui," Niou tried, but the red head just kept on talking. Niou sighed, putting a hand on Marui's thigh when he didn't shut up. Marui blinked a few times, staring at the hand on his leg.

"Why are you touching me?" Marui asked.

"Because," Niou said, pulling his hand back, "you were ranting. Again."

"Again? I'm sorry. I'm trying to stop, I really am. The less I sleep the more hyper I just seem to get, ya know? Oh, speaking of sleep, do you want to come to my place?"

Niou just sort of looked at Marui before asking, "You want me to _come over_ to your place?"

Marui turned red, jumping off the counter, setting down his cup before he started to wave his arms like a drunken dolphin. "No. I mean, come over, not _come over_. I was just thinking, because it's raining and all, and my place is closer than yours, that you could come over, spend the night. I didn't mean _come over._ Am I making any sense?"

Niou smiled, grabbing his books and shoving them into his bag. Grabbing the keys to the store, he rolled his eyes at Marui, saying, "I get it. Sex. Lots and lots of hot monkey sex."

Marui choked on air. Niou cackled like a witch.

.

It really was pouring monkeys and lizards. Marui held his neon yellow umbrella up high enough for Niou to stand underneath. They were arm-to-arm, but the rain and wind was just too strong, and they were getting splattered. They both ended up soaked by the time they got to Marui's small three room apartment.

"Thanks again for letting me spend the night," Niou said, ringing out his ponytail as he took a few steps into the apartment.

Marui made a noise, setting his umbrella down by the door before locking it. "The bathroom is through that door, and I'll get you some sweat pants to sleep in. Well, you could sleep in your boxers if you want, but this place is cheap, and the heat doesn't work, so unless you want Niou Jr. to freeze, I suggest wearing pants. Oh, I know! Why don't you take a shower?"

Niou pressed his lips together, rocking back and forth on his heels. "That sounds good. Mind if I take you up on that shower like, now?"

Marui nodded. "Yeah. Go ahead. I'll leave the pants outside the door in a minute; I need to get you some blankets and stuff. You okay with sleepin' on a pull out?"

"That's fine." Niou took one step, and his world turned upside down (literally). His socks slipped on the wood, and out of instinct, he grabbed the nearest thing – Marui. They landed with a thump, Niou landing on top of Marui, just like a cheesy movie.

"Crap," Niou mumbled, supporting himself with his hands, hovering over the shorter red head.

When Marui finally took a second to focus on something other than how wet his butt was and how badly that hurt, he realized he was incredibly close to Niou.

"Uh…" Marui turned red, looking down between their bodies. "I think the towels are under the sink. Back in my house growing up, we just used whatever towels weren't wet. One time, my brothers used all the towels, and I slipped on one –"

Niou gave him that goofy smile.

"W-what?" Marui asked.

"You're so damn cute," Niou said, and, in one swift motion, he was standing up, holding out his hand.

Marui grabbed his hand, yanking himself up, surprised that they didn't slip again like in a cartoon.

"I feel like a dolphin, I'm that wet," Marui said, wringing out his shirt as best he could. "Forty percent of dolphins are gay," Marui continued. "If only forty percent of people were gay, then maybe my dad would get me…"

Marui trailed off, his hands stalling.

"I wish I was a dolphin," Niou said, knowing far too well what that look in Marui's eyes meant. "I think being openly gay would be a lot better."

Marui pressed his lips together, looking away as Niou walked past him, mumbling something about getting that shower. A few seconds later, Marui turned and watched as the taller man walked towards the bathroom.

The door closed with a thump, just like Marui's cliché heart.

.

Marui vaguely recalled hearing the bathroom door open and shut quickly, and when he looked the pants he had left outside the bathroom door was gone. He cursed under his breath, quickly tucking in the last corner of the sheet on the pull out bed of his sofa. He heard the door clicked, and made a mad dive for the pillow that was on the other side of the room.

"Got it!" Marui shouted, holding the pillow above his head.

He heard a wry sigh come from behind him. Marui tilted his head back, looking up at a shirtless, slightly red-skinned Niou.

"Niou," Marui said, pressing his lips together in a semi-pout – he really wanted to get the bed set up before Niou came out, just to be a good host, considering it was the first time Niou was at his apartment.

"Marui," Niou said back, leaning down. His face was hovering over Marui's, a proud smirk on his lips. For a second, Marui could have sworn that Niou leaned in to kiss him, but he must have been imagining things because Niou grabbed the pillow and turned around, making his way for the pull out bed.

"Is the pull out okay? I guess I could sleep there, not that I actually sleep. I haven't slept really well since that time we got stuck in the café because the electric ran out," Marui said, absent mindedly walking over to the bed. "We ate all the muffins and fell asleep on the floor."

"You thought I was a teddy bear," Niou said, laughing as he crawled onto the bed and tossed the pillow towards the top.

"Muffins are like cupcakes, only more regal," Marui said, ignoring Niou's comment. "You never see fancy people eating cupcakes, you see them eating muffins. I prefer cupcakes, they taste better."

Niou rolled his eyes, pulling a blanket over his body. "Muffin tops are better than cupcakes, idiot."

Marui crawled onto the bed, just to grab a pillow to whack Niou with. "You're the idiot! Cupcakes are better! Actually, let's just agree that I'm awesome."

Niou grabbed another pillow, hitting Marui in the head. "Yeah, right. If you're awesome, then I'm epic."

Marui smiled, lying down next to Niou. "Yeah, epic fail."

"An epically awesome fail," Niou said as he lied down.

They spent the rest of the night like that, just talking, laughing. They were oblivious to the rain and thunder because they were talking as though they were the only two in world.

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**A/N: No comments.**


	3. Tip You With A Kiss

**[Tip You With A Kiss] **  
** "And she drives me insane, but you don't seem to get what I'm getting at. I will tip you with a kiss…" **

Niou was tapping his fingers against the counter he was leaning on. He vaguely noticed that his taps were a little too loud, that he needed to cut his finger nails, but forgot in a heartbeat. He was distracted. Very, very distracted.

The bells on the door chimed, and Niou focused his attention enough to see Marui walking in, which didn't help him at all. In fact, seeing Marui only made that twisting feeling in his gut worse.

"Hey," Marui said, popping his gum. "What's up?"

"The sky," Niou said, bending his knees and resting his head against the counter. He let out a sigh of epic proportions, and felt Marui wrap his finger around his pony tail.

"Seriously, what's up?"

"Nothing," Niou said, lifting his head.

Marui pulled his hand back, looking at Niou for a second. "You're lying. Tell me. Is it gossip? Oh, God. Is it about me? Are you getting in trouble for giving me hot chocolate every night? I can start paying; I have some extra money from my job this semester. Or am I getting annoying?"

"What?" Niou just sounded surprised.

"Well…" Marui rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Most people get annoyed with my rants. I mean, I don't rant around everyone, but I rant around people I like, and that usually turns them off… Not that I like you. That'd be weird. And gay."

Niou snorted. "You're about as straight as a sinusoid graph, Mr. Forty-Percent-Dolphin," he said. "And my asymptote is sexy. There's no way you don't want me."

"Well," Marui drew out, turning red, "whatever. I want hot chocolate."

Niou turned around to get a cup of hot chocolate.

.

Marui was lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, staring up at the correctly placed glow-in-the-dark stars. Each star was to scale, according to Niou – apparently, majoring in astro-physics meant that he had some basic understanding of the stars. Go figure.

Marui smiled, rolling onto his side. He grabbed his phone, dialing Niou's number. After one ring, Niou picked up.

"Late night booty call, Niou," he said, snickering.

Marui rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "Pervert."

"You okay? You usually just come into the shop if you can't sleep. Did you lose a foot?"

"I don't come and you assume that I lost a foot?" Marui asked, eyes darting from star to star. "That's a little weird."

"I'm King of Weird," Niou said, snickering more than a snickers bar.

"So," Marui drew out, "what's up?"

"You seem to be asking me that a lot recently," Niou said, glancing around the café – it was so empty without Marui.

"You've been acting differently," Marui commented. "You talk nerdy more than you used to."

"You mean dirty?"

"Nerdy dirty," Marui said. "I mean, I like it. I think it's funny, even though I don't get it half the time. It's like English jokes. I studied English back in high school, but I don't use it now and I forget it. I guess it's the same with math jokes. One time, back in junior high –"

"Marui," Niou said with a sigh. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what? Ranting? Crap. Sorry."

There was a pause.

"You still get nervous talking to me, don't you?" Niou asked. "That's why you rant?"

Another pause.

"Maybe," Marui admitted.

Pause.

"I get nervous around you, too," Niou said.

Marui hung up, hands shaking.

.

Niou was sitting up on the counter, not caring if someone walked in, not that anyone would besides Marui. At three in the morning, the bells chimed and a cold gust of air filled the shop. Niou glanced at the door and jumped off the counter, walking over to Marui.

"W-what are you doing?" Marui asked almost frantically. "I haven't even taken a step inside! Are you going to kill me? Hey, stop walking!"

Niou stopped about a foot in front of Marui. "Go out with me. A movie, dinner, hot chocolate, frozen yogurt, walking to the playground and swinging on the swings, skinny dipping in the lake, _something_. Yay or nay?"

Marui looked at him for a moment. "Wait. What? Are you asking me out, because it sounds more like demanding? It's not every day a hot guy asks me out, let alone my beastly hot best friend, but – wait. Forget I said that! Forget I said that!"

"Yay or nay?"

"It's freezing out there," Marui said, eyes darting. "And that shirt you're wearing is really thin. Don't get me wrong, I love that shirt; it's the hottest thing you've ever worn, especially with those jeans. I wish you could wear this every day or at least something like it every day, because you wouldn't want to wear the same clothes every day. Anyways. In this weather, wearing something like that, you're bound to catch a cold."

Niou's lips twitched up. "A cold?"

Marui could feel his face heat up. "Never mind."

"Okay," Niou said, taking a step closer to Marui. "Yay or nay on the date?"

"Yay," Marui said, smiling and chewing on his bottom lip. "Maybe we should start with dinner? If that's okay with you. We could go to a movie, I guess, but popcorn makes me gassy. I did _not_ just say that."

"Say what?" Niou asked, cupping Marui's face in his hands.

Marui got up on his toes.

And when Niou kissed him, waiting and dating be damned, Marui kissed him back.

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**A/N: I think it's official: **_**Sing Me Insomnia**_** is my favorite band, just because of this story.**


	4. Louder Than Words

**[Louder Than Words] **  
**"Hey baby, just know you're not alone, and I'll show you, just take my hand, run away from all the stupid things they say."**

When Marui got to Niou's apartment, it took all of his might and 'virtuous' patience to survive toeing off his shoes in the mine field Niou called his front door. Niou always kicked his shoes off instead of lining them up; it made the area around the door worthy of being called an Olympic sport.

"Niou," he yelled, shoving the keys Niou had given him into his pocket – they didn't technically live together, though Marui did "sleep" on Niou's couch almost every night.

All he got was a muffled response that sounded like "give me a minute" over the sound of the water in the shower.

It'd been four months since they first started dating, and it was magical. They took things slow, though, and talked about things in a "grown up fashion." They even revealed their relationship to their parents; Niou's family was impartial, and Marui's was a little less impartial, leaning towards the this-is-not-happening side of the funky-shit-my-son-does-meter. But they were happy, and that was enough for them.

Marui walked over to sofa, flopping down. The second his butt hit the cheap leather, his phone rang in his back pocket.

"Hello?" Marui answered, sinking into the sofa.

"It's me," his father said.

Marui froze.

"Hello," Marui said, trying to sound like he didn't want to strangle him through the phone.

"I am calling to remind you that Sato-san is visiting this week, the man whom I was telling you about last week…"

Marui zoned out. When he read a textbook, it was in his father's plain, mono-tone voice. That, or in a British accent. Usually the latter of the two.

"Bunta?"

"Um, could you say that again? Niou's apartment has bad signal."

There was a pause.

"You're at his house?"

"Apartment," Marui corrected. "But, yeah, I am. Now, what were you saying?"

"Nothing. Definitely nothing about Sato-san's beautiful daughter and how marrying into their family would be wonderful for business –"

"Father," Marui said in his textbook reading voice, "I will never marry Sato-san's daughter. I'm with Niou. I practically live with him."

"I know you are still going through this phase –"

"Stop!" Marui yelled. He heard the shower water stop and the curtain being pulled back. "Just _stop_! It's not a phase and it kills me on the inside knowing that you think it is!"

Marui hung up, tossing his phone half way across the room.

Marui sunk down so far into the sofa that he thought it might swallow him whole. His phone rang, and part of his brain yelled at him to pick it up, but he didn't. He covered his eyes with his palms and heard loud, wet footsteps.

"Your father called?" Niou asked.

"Yes," Marui said softly, turning on his side to see Niou. When he opened his eyes, he saw Niou standing at eye-to-crotch level in just a towel. Bright red, Marui sat up, eyes wide. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Actually, that would be a boner attack, because you're trying to make the blood rush to my face, and then gravity is going to push it down to Marui Jr., and then I'm going to –"

"Marui."

"Sorry. Stress."

"Uh-huh." Niou pressed his lips together, waiting for Marui to rant like he always did.

"My father is a tremendous douche bag. I mean, if you're going to be a douche bag, tremendous is the way to go, but he just makes me so confused! I don't know what to do. I don't know what I want. I don't know anymore."

There was a pause, and Marui felt his stomach sink.

"A gallant llama?" Niou asked.

Marui furrowed his brow, sitting up. "A gallant llama?"

Niou nodded, getting on his knees, folding his arms and resting them on Marui's lap. Resting his head in his arms, Niou looked up at Marui with a goofy grin.

"Yeah. A gallant llama. You look like the person who would want a gallant llama."

Niou smiled. Marui told him a flying gallant llama would be better.

.

Marui worked at Sweet Treats every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after his classes at the university. He served sweet, overpriced frozen yogurt that came in a variety of flamboyantly gay flavors to girls who tried to hit him on him and sickly sweet couples.

He was staring at his psychology book, trying to focus on something about something. It was Halloween and he was stuck in Sweet Treats instead of hanging out with his boyfriend. Life just wasn't fair.

When the bells on the door chimed, he didn't look up. Once the footsteps stopped, he said, "Welcome to Sweet Treats. Happy Halloween. We have a special mix just for today, it's called pum-hon-swirl. It has pumpkin, honey, and vanilla. Would you like to try it?"

Twenty seven times out of thirty, people said yes. Marui didn't get it. It wasn't even that good. It made your poop blue.

Not paying attention whatsoever, Marui didn't realize that it was Niou who had just walked in. Amused, Niou played along, wondering how long it would take for Marui to catch on.

"No thanks. Just a medium strawberry."

"Okay," Marui said, turning the page. "Any toppings?"

With a flirty grin, Niou put a finger under Marui's chin, lifting his face up. "You can be the toppings on my yogurt any day," Niou said, recalling that that line had a certain affect on his boyfriend.

"Pervert!" Marui shrieked, thankful no one else was in the shop. "I thought you were at home watching some movie."

Niou shrugged, pulling his hand back. "I decided to get frozen yogurt."

Marui crinkled his eyebrows, confused. "It's freezing outside. Why would you want frozen yogurt? Besides, it's Halloween! When I was little, I would watch scary movies. A lot. I didn't sleep at all. I guess that's where my insomnia started? Or is insomnia something you're born with? I don't –"

"Marui."

"Sorry…"

"Don't get so nervous," Niou said with a wry sigh. "If anyone should be nervous, it should be me."

"Why?" Marui asked, still confused. "I rant. I have terrible breath in the morning. When I do sleep, I kick, hard. I snort when I laugh. This boy called me a pig once because of it, but I –"

Marui turned red ad shut up, realizing he was ranting.

"Because," Niou said with a calming smile, "you're perfect like that."

Marui ranted about all his imperfections, saying there was no way he was perfect. Niou just sighed and listened, only to realize Marui was better than perfect.

.

Later that Halloween night, Marui showed up at the café, but Niou was nowhere to be seen. But there was a package on the counter that was a little bigger than his head; though present might be a better term. It was wrapped in hunter orange paper, had neon pink ribbon, and a fluorescent yellow bow in addition to the ribbon.

"This box just screams 'Hey, I'm gay!'" Marui mumbled to himself, picking the box up and shaking it.

Deciding to open it, Marui bit through the ribbon, going to town on that present. When he opened up the box inside, he reached into the tissue paper. Then he felt something fuzzy.

"EW!" Marui yelled, pulling his hand back.

A few "oh, shits" later, Niou was rushing in from the back room, holding a towel over the palm of his hand.

"You opened it?" Niou asked, rushing over.

"Why are you holding your hand? Did a werewolf attack you? It _is _Halloween after all."

Niou shook his head, stopping on the other side of the counter. That's when Marui saw why Niou was holding his hand. Blood.

"Oh my God," Marui said, grabbing Niou's had. "Are you okay? What happened? Was it a vampire? Do we need to call an ambulance? Wait. No. Don't call an ambulance. Those things are expensive. Get on my back. I can piggy back you there. I piggy backed my brother to the hospital once, but my back ended up being more of a problem than his ankle."

Niou's laughter made him stop.

"I'm fine. No vampires involved. I cut myself with the scissors when I was curling the ribbon," Niou said, glancing down at the box.

Marui gave him a blank stare. "You mean… you got me a furry beast?"

"Furry beast?"

Marui nodded, reaching back into the box. "Yeah! I reached my hand inside and felt something fuzzy, and then –" Marui grabbed the object pulling it out. "Oh."

It was a llama about the size of his head with a little cape.

Marui's jaw dropped. "Oh. My. God. You got me a freakin' llama. The only that could make this better is-is-is-is-is-"

"Is what?"

Marui bit his lip, setting the llama down. "You," Marui said with a goofy smile. "I want to fly into the sunset on a gallant llama with _you_ and no one else."

Niou reached over the counter, cupping Marui's face in his hands. "Good to know the feeling is mutual," Niou said, leaning down, meeting Marui as he got on his toes.

They kissed. Awkwardly. Marui's bottom lip was in between Niou's lips, and he nearly died when he felt Niou sucking on it like a vampire. The sensation settled in the pit of Marui's stomach like honey. Marui melted, feeling Niou's tongue sweep along his lower lip. It was so wrong, so dirty, so true.

When they parted, Niou reached across the counter, picking Marui up by his underarms. With a few awkward kicks to the stomach, Marui was sitting on the counter, legs around Niou's waist, arms around his neck, lips sealed.

A kiss. That's all it took. Whenever Niou kissed him, Marui was swept clean off his feet and never once was let down. Not that he wanted to get down, really.

Marui knew what he wanted, even if his father didn't agree.

He wanted Niou.

* * *

**A/N: Happy Halloween! I know this wasn't Halloween-like, but it's better than nothing.**


	5. The Introduction

**[The Introduction] **  
**"One mistake and I'm going under. My heart beats loud like a clap of thunder."**

Niou got to the apartment at three in the morning from his shift at the café to find Marui in the kitchen, standing in front of the microwave in pink boxers and a baggy t-shirt. Snickering, Niou walked over.

"Yo," he said, wrapping his arms around Marui from behind, swaying them slightly.

Marui jumped, and then relaxed into Niou's embrace, leaning back against his broad chest. "Good morning. You know it's not nice to sneak up on people."

"It's my apartment."

Marui tilted his head back, looking up at Niou. "No. It's _our _apartment."

After four months of dating, they moved in together. They did all the official-couple things – sleeping in the same bed, cooking dinner, calling each other by their given names in romantic situations, being total idiots together. Oh, yeah, and sex. After Halloween at the café, one thing led to another, and they ended back up at Niou's. They split the bills, but didn't worry about it. They were happy living one day at a time.

"Whatever," Niou said, holding Marui a little tighter, swaying them back and forth again. "So, I was thinking, this weekend, we could go camping. My family owns this cabin up in the mountains, and they we could use it."

Marui twirled out of Niou's arms, looking up at him. "Camping? This weekend? Isn't that a little sudden?"

Niou shrugged. "I thought maybe we could get a little wine, maybe some cheap ass Chinese food, lie in front of the fire and –"

"I have a paper to do this weekend. Whenever I put off a paper, it never gets done. I need an A on this paper, Niou, if I don't I won't be able to take that anatomy class next semester. I want to take that anatomy class. I get to –"

"I was thinking," Niou said, cutting in, "maybe I could tell you I love you."

Marui looked at him for a second, and then his eyes went wide. "L-love?"

The microwave beeped.

"I-I-I need to get th-that," Marui stuttered, turning to face the microwave.

When Marui opened up the door, Niou wrapped his arms around Marui's torso again, leaning down to place a kiss on the back of his neck.

"I love you, Bunta," Niou whispered.

Marui pulled his hot pocket out of the microwave, biting his lip. "Niou…"

Niou unwrapped his arms, taking a step back. Pressing his lips together, Niou ran a hand through his hair. "I'm gonna go to bed. Are you going to sleep on the couch, or come and join me?"

Marui shrugged. Niou sighed, walking away.

.

Marui was sitting at the desk of their apartment, trying to focus on his essay. The door opened, and Marui glanced up, smiling like an idiot when he saw Niou.

"Hey," Marui said, pushing his paper aside. Niou nodded, and then collapsed onto the sofa. "Bad day?" Marui asked, walking over to the sofa.

"Yeah, but I'll be okay."

"Why?" Marui asked, sitting by Niou's hip, drawing lazy circles on his chest.

"Because I've got you to make me feel better, to make me feel stronger," Niou said, closing his eyes. "You have no idea how much I need you, how much I–"

Marui kissed Niou before he could say those three words, because he always chokes up when Niou says them.

.

They were sitting behind the counter of Sweet Treats after having flipped the sign from 'opened' to 'closed' and Niou had a can of whip cream.

Niou put the tip to his nose, pushing it so a small dot covered his nose. Marui smiled, turning and kissing the whip cream away.

"This could get really kinky really fast," Niou said, putting the tip in Marui's mouth and pushing it down.

Marui swallowed the whip cream, smirking. "Nice try, but no thanks. I have to sit through an in-class essay tomorrow, and I do not want to be in pain because my boyfriend is a horny fiend."

Putting the tip in his mouth, Niou filled his mouth to the brim. Then Niou put the can down, swinging a leg so he was straddling Marui's lap. Mouth full of whip cream, he said, "You know you'd love to do it here."

Marui laughed when Niou kissed his neck, whip cream going everywhere. "It tickles!" Marui shrieked, putting his hands on Niou's back.

"I love you," Niou said, swallowing the whip cream and bringing his head up to look Marui in the eye.

Marui swallowed hard, but didn't say anything.

Niou kissed him, just because the silence was killing him.

.

Niou was sitting behind the counter of the café, his back pressed against the wall. He felt like an idiot. A tried-to-like-the-cold-pole-in-winter idiot. He tilted his head back, closing his eyes. He ignored the bells of the door, and the footsteps. He knew that only another idiot would come to a café at two in the morning, and it was the idiot he loved.

"Niou…" Marui walked around the counter, squatting in front of Niou. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Niou said, setting his head straight, his forehead almost touching Marui's.

Marui brushed Niou's hair away from his eyes, smiling like a fool. "I know you. You make jokes, you're blunt, and you're absolutely freakin' amazing. I can tell when something is wrong. Don't lie to me."

Niou licked his lips, locking eyes with Marui. "Fine, here's the truth: I love you and it drives me insane when you just stare at me when I tell you."

Marui's brain stopped, just like his breath.

"Marui, you rant, how can you not have something to say?" Niou asked.

"I can't help it," Marui finally choked out. "It scares me just to think about saying it. I'm pretty sure my life would suck without you, and that flying into the sunset on a giant llama with anyone but you would be terrible. I spend all my time thinking about you. I still can't remember what happens after we kiss – you still do that to me. I love you, Masaharu, and it scares the shit out of me," Marui said.

Niou smiled that smile, the one that made Marui fall for him the second he spilt that hot chocolate on him.

"You said it," Niou said, putting a hand on the back of Marui's neck. Niou tilted his head to the left, pulling Marui's head down.

"Yeah, I did. I love you. I love you so damn much. I love you. I love you. I love you," Marui said, smiling a little more each time he said it.

"Good to know the feeling is mutual."

Marui laughed. Niou smiled.

And when they kissed, everything blurred as the fireworks exploded.

* * *

**A/N: One more chapter to go.  
**


	6. Catching Angels

**[Catching Angels] **  
** "God sent angels from above and I caught the one I love." **

"We're in a rut," Marui said one night at the café.

Niou looked up from his calculus homework, giving his boyfriend an odd look. "I like our rut."

Marui sighed, taking a sip of his hot chocolate before jumping off the counter, landing on the side Niou was on. "I don't. We do the same thing all the time. We go to class, you stopped by at Sweet Treats when I work, we go home, eat dinner together, and then you go to work and I show up two hours into your shift."

"Don't forget the sex," Niou said, tapping his pencil on his book.

"You're such a pervert!" Marui shrieked. "You always talk about sex. I used to talk about sex all the time, but that was back when I was in denial about being gay. I would talk about boobs a lot. One time, my friend dared me to yell sex during the middle of our final, and I did it. But I turned bright red and realized that it was during our health final, so –"

"Bunta," Niou said softly, "you're ranting. _Still_."

"If you don't like it, break up with me," Marui replied softly.

Niou sighed, setting down his pencil. "You know I can't do that."

"… why?"

"I can't do that because I love you."

Marui just looked at him, and then burst out laughing. "You sounded like a chick."

"Oh, shut up!" Niou said, but couldn't keep a smile from creeping onto his face – Marui just did that to him.

.

Marui was at work, alone, when the bells on the door rang. Marui looked up and his world went candy colored.

"N-Niou?" he stuttered.

Niou was standing at the door with flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. Roses, to be more precise. White and red roses.

"Would it be gay to say I think those are beautiful?" Marui asked as Niou walked over to the counter, handing the bouquet to Marui.

Niou snorted. "You _are_ gay. You can't get anymore gay."

"I could say that you look super duper cute today," Marui said, pressing the flowers to his nose to hide his blush.

Niou hit him over the head. With his hand. In a loving way.

.

Marui was sitting on the counter of the café, watching Niou get him a cup of hot chocolate.

"You know," Niou said, handing Marui the cup, "I've been giving you free hot chocolate for about a year now."

Marui blew on the liquid as he smiled. "Yeah, and?"

"Since we're in a rut, I think you should start paying."

Marui looked at him for a second before saying, "You're kidding, right?"

Niou sighed. "Yes, I'm kidding. Can you not tell that this is my sarcastic voice?"

"It sounds a lot like your normal voice," Marui said.

Niou waited a moment, and then smiled. "Hey, you didn't go off on some story. Does that mean you're not nervous around me anymore?"

Marui bit his lip, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "I haven't been nervous around you for awhile. I just rant because you think it's cute…"

"I think you're cute, ranting or not," Niou said. "I don't know how the hell you're mine, but I must have done something right because you're perfect."

Marui took another sip, ears turning red. Niou watched him with a smile.

.

When Niou got home from class, he saw Marui sitting on the sofa, wrapped up in white, fluffy blankets.

"You okay?" Niou asked, sitting down on the sofa next to Marui. He felt Marui's forehead with his hand, but he didn't feel hot.

"I'm just cold," Marui said, readjusting his blankets.

They sat there in silence for a minute, not moving. Then, all of the sudden, Marui rested his head against Niou's shoulder and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too, my little blanket angel," Niou said, closing his eyes and listening to Marui breathe.

.

When Marui opened up the door to their apartment, he tripped on the mine field of shoes. How could you blame him, though? He was too busy staring at all the lights – dozens and dozens of strands of white Christmas lights strung up like stars.

"Niou…?" Marui said softly, pushing himself up.

"Bedroom," was Niou's reply.

After a few more seconds of awe-struck-gawking-nerdity, Marui walked into the bedroom, his face hurting when he smiled. Niou was sitting on the bed, picking at a box of Chinese take out – there were even more lights in this room.

"I got green beans," Niou said, nodding towards the dresser.

Marui grabbed the white box off the dresser and a pack of chopsticks, and then crawled into bed. "So," Marui said, opening up his box, "is this another attempt to get us out of the rut?"

"No. This is to show you that I love you."

Marui's heart stopped. In a good way.

.

"Oh, my God! I'm sorry," Marui blurted as he dropped the cup of hot chocolate Niou had just handed him. He watched, horrified, as the cup of hot chocolate he was holding fell in slow motion towards Niou It clattered, rolled, and stopped – just like his breath.

A couple of months ago, his breath stopped out of pure fear. This time, his breath stopped because he caught Niou's eyes.

"Is this going to become a part of our rut?" Niou asked. "Because I really don't want burn marks."

Marui smiled that flirty grin, reaching across the counter, grabbing Niou's shirt, pulling him down and across the counter slightly. "It won't, because it only took one spill for me to fall in love with you."

"And the second spill?"

"It made you my world, my rutty little world, not that that's a bad thing…"

Marui smiled. Niou smiled back. Then they kissed, and it was perfect.

* * *

**A/N: Not the best last chapter ever, but was it still cute? I was debating whether or not to really describe things, but as I went over the previous chapters I realized that the vagueness made it just a bit cuter (in my opinion). Anyways… Did I get anyone hooked on **_**Sing Me Insomnia**_** because of this story? I know I got one or two people hooked – I feel powerful :) **

**I want to thank everyone who read this, alerted, favorited, or whatever. And to those who reviewed, you get extra thanks because I'm a very odd person when I reply to those things sometimes.**

**I'd really appreciate it if you guys spent an extra minute and dropped me a review, just telling me your overall thoughts on the story (what you liked, didn't like, criticism – or just a review). **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Dolphin**


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